The first Czech to visit Australia was Bohemia-born Tadeáš Haenke in 1793, a botanist, physician, chemist and geographer who sailed with the Spanish navy on the way to South America on a spying and scientific mission. The earliest known settler was Mark Blycher, a convict who arrived in Sydney in 1830. The gold rushes of the 1850s saw a number of Czechs settle in Victoria, but the community remained small.
Since the Second World War, there have been two major waves of immigration: after the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948, and following Soviet occupation in 1968. According to 2016 census figures, around 24,500 Australians identify as having Czech ancestry.
TEAM CZECH
Have you ever wanted to pull on your national jumper and represent your country?
Playing Footy 9s gives you an opportunity to do just that! It’s a fun and exciting new sport, with both full contact (tackling) and non-contact (no tackling) options to choose from.
If you are of Czech descent and keen to represent the Czech Republic, please contact us.
AFL PLAYERS
Paul Vinar
